The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-26
GLADST0NES GAUNTLET.
HE DRESl THE GOVERNMENT TO
HOW IT'S DOCUMENTS.

On Inroducing His Motion to Re-
quest the Queen to Suspend the
PROCLAMATION Liberals Standing By
the Lague as a Political Organiza-
ton.
LoND@, Aug. 25.-Forty Liberal men,
bers of hrliament had a meeting in the
House oiCommons to-day, and resolved to
support he Irish National League, as they
were satisfied that the organization was
purely aoolitical one. Twenty other Lib
erals wpte letters expressing sympathy
with the,urpose of the meeting. There
were no prty leaders present.
GLADSTONE MAKES THE MOTION.
Mr.. Gladstone was greeted with cheers in
the Houseof Commons this evening when
he arose t. move his resolution: 'That an
humble address be presented to the Queen.
representing that the Viceroy of Ireland
has procRimed the National League
dangerous association, that no informa-
tion has Ieen furnished to Parliament
to justify the proclamation, by virtue of
which her ma jesty's subjects are to be rem
dered liable to be punished as criminals
without a judicial inquiry into the nature
of their acts and that this House, in the
absence of such information, prays that
said proclamation shall not continue in
force as to the association named and
described therein"
THE INFORMATION DEMANDED.
Mr. Gladstone said that the Irish Viceroy,
in declaring that the league had melted to
violence, must have acted on information
but where was that information? The Irish
chiefs had a right to demand to know the
grounds on which the government had
acted If the facts We're withheld the op-
position must forthwith urge three PROPOSE
tions upon the House and the government:
l. That it was slight almost an outrage,
on the dignity of Parliament to suppose
that it was to discharge such an important
statutory duty without knowing the
grounds.
2. That it reduced to utter destruction
and TO an absurdity the main contention
that the government advanced during the
discussion Of the crimes act--that the safe
guard promised had proved a farce. He
asked, What was the value or meaning of
parliamentary approval given in ignorance
of the facts! Why not follow the course
taken by Wellington and Peel in 1920 re-
garding the Catholic league and suppress it?
3, What could the House think of informa-
tiOn that they must thus know would not
bear the lights [Cheers.]
THE GOVERNMENT CHALLENGED.
Mr.. Gladstone said he had always con-
tended that the government were legislating
against a combination apart from crime,
and now was the time for the government
to show that he and his friends were wrong
But the government shrank from the test
and declined the challenge. They had sub
Stituted an arbitrary will for regular
legal action. This principle was a
most dangerous and diGraceful one
in any country, and especially in Ireland
Law in Ireland was still on trial A great
m hot tpbf aIY 1icto
it, especially locally, were not in sympathy
with the feelings of the people. The procla-
nation of the National League, Mr.. Glad
stone declared, was near approach to
declaration of war on the Irish peopel
The people of Ireland generally sympathize
with the league because they believe that it
has been their salvation. [Parnellite cheers
Nobody did anything for the tenants until
the league was founded. The government
were pressing Ireland very hard, and it was
evident that they intended to work and act
by summary jurisdiction.
MERE FARCE
The governments action absolutely ex-
cluded the House from anything except an
absurd and perfunctory operation in con-
nIectlon with the great duty devolving upon
1t under the statute. Their cognzance of
this proclamation was reduced to a mere
farce. There would be no jury judge or
resident magistrate and no Parliament to
control Ireland. There would be nothing
put the absolute, unmitigated arbitrary act
oi the irish executive, which was neces-
sarily partisan. He hoped that the Irish
would continue to bear the pressure They
would not have to suffer long 1t was GER
tam that they would not obey the law
Inrough fear [cheersl, but from a strong,
ViVhi, ouoyant hope, which even at the last
election was not damaged, and
SC4 wach now was brighter and livelier.
lNheers The Irish believed that the
governments policy had not the sanction
OF the British nation. Irish cheers The
soyernnents foundation was slipping from
under them, and their action in reference
W the proclamation of the league, showed
IH!t thelr strength was failing. ireland,
te1ii,S f'ia5S tins, trusted the English nation to
,,i rllllll her reasonable wishes, and was con
SSinced that her expectations would not be
disappointed Mr.. Gladstone then pre-
SFn'ed his resolution amid prolonged cheers.
BALFoUR REPLIES.
Mr. Balfour said that Mr. Gladstone
ulu "oulu nave been wiser had he rested his
%isuillent on the allegation that the House
t "as ignorant of the grounds for the procla-
TT TGn rather than on. a defence of the league
9ns 9fms governments difficulty was not the
tu OF evidence to justify the proclama-
,r ou pllt selecting of it from the enormous
l,g' al.g, ol evidence they possessed There was
..'uhV foundation to Justify the procla-
nuuOh IN the columns of the local newspa-
p@lS, @ without going into the governments
tSDuIuentlal tSat reports. Mr. Balfour argued
fa,, f". When Mr.. Gladstone proclaimed the
ZINC 1anq League he did SO when Mr.. Parnel
not vas imprisoned, and when Parliament was
to i,% Httlhg, and that he afforded no informa-
o "n 70 any one concerned He quoted at
%n vgIh documents to show that the league
s, aS Euilty Of boycotting, coercing and in
SSalIGS nfractions of the law
poier illlam Vernon Harcourt asked Mr..
he bhoi'our n whether the documents from which
9uoted would be submitted to the House.
MI balfour refused TO submit the docu-
stom, and proceeding, narrated other in
S. St.',, 80 OF the leagues unlawful action.
NJ "I ~ llham asked the Speaker whether
doc,.'allo .. nallour was bound to table the official
documents cited.
-, NOT BOUND TO TABLETHEM.
ua nne Speaker replied that Mr. Balfour
I't ~. iiuC bound to table confidetial documents
nor. Dp. 1ue case was different with official pa
f0S, "Lich the House might want TO verify.
vwypposltion waS ;, cheers.l Although Mr.. Balfour
doc,,Ji'uIsl Jusllhe1 in quoting from confidential
fion1'ilehts, the authority of such quota
baJ bIs was weakened, because the documents
1'tl not been labelled.
Ioqnodat %r atareourt-After the Speakers sruling,